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Archive for February 2nd, 2018

Renegades

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Renegades (Renegades – 1) by Marissa Meyer

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

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 Marissa Meyer

Author’s Bio

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squishable book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER was my first completed novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around, too.

I married my husband in 2011, two months before the release of Cinder, and we adopted our two beautiful twin daughters, Sloane and Delaney, in 2015. Reading lots and lots of bedtime stories is most definitely a new favorite pastime.

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My Review

5 stars

When humans started developing super powers they were hunted like witches. Then the Anarchists arose and made it known that they were not going to be hunted any longer. Although the protégés we no longer the prey, many rival gangs to the Anarchists arose and started terrorizing the human. So the Renegades started to stop the Anarchists and the other gangs. In the ten years since they defeated the leader of the Anarchists, Ace, the Renegades have started rebuilding everything and getting commerce moving again. But the humans rely on the Renegades for everything.

Nova was six when a man came and murdered her family. She used her powers and put him to sleep. Ace arrived shortly thereafter and took her in. She learns that her father had asked the Renegades for help protecting his family. They told him if he stopped making weapons they would help. But they didn’t, only Ace was there. From this moment Nova started hating the Renegades and wants nothing more than to bring them down.

Nova is grown and has been surviving with the remaining Anarchists in the abandoned subway tunnels. But she has to opportunity to infiltrate the Renegades as Insomnia. The whole plan is to gain as much knowledge of the Renegades and their tower to bring them down. But she didn’t count on Adrian.

After the ultimate betrayal from the Renegades Nova can think of nothing else than to bring them down. What better way than to become a Renegade herself? But she didn’t count on starting to become friends with them. Nova, as Nightmare tried to kill Captain Chromium and had a tussle with the Sentinal.

Nova let slip a saying that was pinned to Adrian’s mother’s body when she was found killed. Adrian is now intently hunting Nightmare to find out what she knows. Now Nova is balancing on a knives edge as Insomnia trying to help capture Nightmare.

I really enjoyed this story. It kept me enthralled waiting to see if Nova got her revenge or if she decided that she could change and become a Renegade. Rebecca Soler and Dan Bittner did an amazing job narrating this story. They really brought it to life. This is a great young adult superhero story that I think you should check out.

I received Renegades from Macmillan Audio for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Fallout Dreams

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Fallout Dreams

By Jake Vander Ark

Genre: Suspense, Psychological, Gothic

Ava Lane wants to overcome her fear in peace. Mia wants to party.

The twins reach their breaking point when they move into an isolated house in the middle of the Arkansas woods. As Ava moves from accepting her fear to relishing it… as Mia exploits a tragedy to impress her new friends… the man hiding in the cellar watches their every move.

FALLOUT DREAMS plunges headfirst through trap doors, eavesdrops through hundred-year-old vents, and brews a pitch-black tale of voyeurism, illicit attraction, and a fiery battle for redemption.

THE MIDNIGHT MASTERMIND SERIES is a savage anthology of pulp stories about Trevor, a charming sociopath caught between the love in his heart and the storm in his gut. Fallout Dreams is BOOK TWO in the series, though Trevor’s adventures can be read in any order.

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About the Author

“I want to offend my readers. I want them to fall in love, to lose their minds, to think and feel and dream. If they’re not shellshocked and hungry by the final page, I haven’t done my job.”

Whether it’s a modern-day fairytale or hard-core science fiction, Jake Vander Ark attacks every story with brutal realism and down-to-earth characters. No subject is taboo. Truth is paramount.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago influenced his experimental quirks, while his pursuits in Hollywood hammered the importance of traditional storytelling. This unique fusion of structure and innovation brings to life the most beautiful girl in the world in The Accidental Siren, the gritty morality tales of Lighthouse Nights and Fallout Dreams, the cryptic prologue of The Brandywine Prophet, and the mind-melting climax of The Day I Wore Purple.

When Jake isn’t writing, he’s building rustic furniture for his small business, engaging with his readers online, and livin’ it up with his dog.

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My Review

5 stars

Ava and Mia Lane are twins. But ten months ago a car accident changed that. Ava has become dark and depressed while Mia is trying to find a way to bring her sister back to her. They go off to college and move into a secluded house in the woods. But they are not alone. Trevor, the owner, is not going to let the sale of his house come between his home beneath the house. He starts messing with the girls. He might be a master puppeteer but he is not in control of everything.

Ava has gone through a lot and has a serious scar to tell her story. She is trying to find her place in this new world of hers and wants to be alone to do so. Mia on the other hand can feel the canyon forming between her and her sister but can’t figure out how to bring Ava back to her. And then there is Trevor. Creeping around in his fallout shelter below the house. He is a messed up person yet just makes this story even creepier with his plan to manipulate the girls.

This is a great, creepy book that had me wondering about my neighbors. I admit that I have not read Lighthouse Nights but I will definitely be getting a copy shortly.

I received Fallout Dreams from Sage’s Reading Room for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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